Chapter 15
Of course, he must have mentioned it believing without a doubt that her family was respectable enough for her to be brought along as a partner. If Eleanor had been a commoner, this would never have happened.
As he racked his brain trying to figure out how to make the suggestion naturally, the meal was nearly finished. Thanks to Olivia, who had quietly followed Eleanor’s lead and finished eating without drawing attention.
“Come to think of it, I heard Princess Daphne is getting married.”
Usher, watching the atmosphere, spoke up as if casually. Logan, who had been sipping water, nodded.
“Did you get an invitation?”
“My mother said she received one.”
Usher put down his knife and wiped his shiny lips with a dry cloth as he answered.
“She asked me to attend as the family representative this time, so I need to find a partner, but I’m not sure who to take.”
“…”
“I don’t really know any women…”
He said it for Eleanor to hear, but she showed no reaction at the mention that his partner seat was still open.
“It would be nice to attend with someone like Eleanor.”
At that moment, all Usher could do was try his best not to stutter like a fool.
“Eleanor, do you have any special plans about a month from now?”
Surprised by the unexpected question, Eleanor—who had been brushing crumbs off Olivia’s dress—looked up with wide eyes.
“If you don’t have any plans, would you be willing to come with me as my partner?”
He finally said it. Usher clenched his hands tightly on his lap from nerves. His grip was so tight that it looked a bit comical, and it was fortunate it was hidden under the tablecloth.
Please say yes. Usher’s Adam’s apple bobbed visibly in nervous anticipation.
“Ah, I…”
But the very next moment, Eleanor gave an awkward smile as if troubled. Usher immediately sensed her rejection.
“I’m sorry, Sir Usher.”
She spoke carefully, watching his expression. As expected, it was a refusal.
“It’s alright. There’s no need to apologize.”
“…”
“You might have something scheduled that day anyway, so…”
Usher quickly tried to reassure her. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t embarrassed to be turned down right in front of her, but whatever—he could always skip the wedding and reception.
“Actually, His Grace already asked me to accompany him as his partner, and I accepted.”
But her next words stunned him into silence. Usher looked at Logan with a face demanding an explanation. Even Logan looked unusually awkward.
“I assumed the Count and Countess would be attending, so I asked Miss Hudson for help.”
Logan offered an excuse, as if to say he hadn’t meant to take Usher’s partner away. Usher knew Logan hadn’t done it on purpose—after all, they weren’t even close enough for Logan to use Eleanor’s name casually yet. There must have been a reason he needed Eleanor.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Miss Hudson. Do what’s most comfortable for you.”
Still, those words gave Usher a faint glimmer of hope. Eleanor, who had locked eyes with his subtly sparkling purple ones, hesitated before speaking.
* * *
“Ellie, are you going to a party?”
Eleanor, who had been lost in thought about the lunch conversation, snapped back to the present at Olivia’s voice.
“Yes, in a month.”
“How many nights is a month?”
“Three times ten.”
Eleanor bundled thirty marbles into groups of ten and showed them to Olivia.
“Three sets of ten!”
It was a visual explanation, easy to understand. As expected, Olivia quickly understood and nodded.
“But what’s a party?”
“At a party, they invite a lot of people to a mansion once or twice a year, eat delicious food, and talk. It’s that kind of thing.”
Eleanor answered lightly. But Olivia still looked confused.
“What do you do there?”
Eleanor almost asked if she’d ever been to a party before, then closed her mouth. She figured that Cindy would never have allowed Olivia into any space with outsiders.
“That day is the wedding of Princess Daphne, the only princess of Reden.”
“A wedding? Like Mom and Dad?”
Eleanor nodded. Olivia’s smile lit up at the mention of what she assumed was a happy event.
“A white dress! So pretty!”
Clapping in delight, Olivia jumped down from the bed and rummaged through her drawer before proudly pulling something out.
“Look at this!”
It was a photo of Cindy in a white dress that emphasized her slender waist, standing next to a man in a three-piece suit. Since it was Cindy and her husband, it had to be the previous Duke of Claven. Eleanor studied the man in the photo carefully.
He had remarried after losing his first wife, so he must have been fairly old, yet he didn’t look much older than Cindy. All she noticed was his stern expression—identical to Logan’s.
So His Grace will age like this too. Eleanor’s fingers gently touched the photo.
“Mom looks like a princess, right?”
Olivia beamed, admiring her mother’s beauty. Eleanor smiled and nodded without saying anything. Cindy had once been a nervous young woman, entering a second marriage with a much older man—none of the viciousness she now displayed could be seen in that photo.
“I want to go to the party too.”
Perhaps that’s why Olivia cherished that photo so much. Eleanor gently comforted her with a slightly heavy heart.
“Not this time. Only invited people can go.”
Olivia’s face immediately turned sullen. Eleanor softly patted her small back.
“Instead, shall we have a birthday party for Olivia later?”
“Olive’s birthday party?”
As always, the thought of being left out made Olivia sad, but her eyes lit up at Eleanor’s suggestion. Eleanor smiled and nodded.
“We’ll ask His Grace, and have a party just for Olivia—with only the people you want to invite.”
Olivia brightened and clung tightly to Eleanor’s arms.
“Olive loves Ellie the most!”
“Then will you do what I ask?”
Olivia vigorously nodded. Eleanor decided to take this chance.
“Then promise me—don’t open the door and leave in the middle of lessons again, or disappear suddenly in the street.”
Eleanor explained in detail, and Olivia, slightly deflated, rolled her eyes.
“But… but…”
She had grabbed Eleanor’s blouse sleeve without even realizing it. Her small hand trembled with anxiety and fear. Eleanor recognized the signs well—it was the same fear she’d seen in her younger sibling after getting scolded by their father.
“Are you still scared of your mom?”
Eleanor gently asked, looking into Olivia’s tear-filled blue eyes. Olivia pouted and nodded.
As the precious daughter of the Duke of Claven, Olivia had received nothing but terrible treatment from Cindy. Cindy would yell at her to get lost if she saw her face, and if Olivia called for her, she’d order the maids to drag her away.
She didn’t even hesitate to hit her. With the body of an 8-year-old and a mental age possibly younger, Olivia’s fear was natural.
“Then let’s do this, Olivia.”
Eleanor bent her knees slightly to meet Olivia’s eyes.
“If you ever feel like going somewhere, tell me.”
Whether she could go out, or step away—those were easy decisions for Eleanor to make.
“If it’s not a situation where you have to run away, but Mom tells you to run anyway…”
“…Then what?”
Olivia asked, a faint curiosity in her eyes.
“Then I’ll fight Mom for you.”
Even if Cindy tried to hit Olivia, Eleanor could block her. And if they clashed because of Olivia, Eleanor was sure Logan wouldn’t stand by and let it happen. She had at least that much trust in him now.
“Can you really fight Mom?”
Olivia tilted her head as if she’d heard something outrageous. Even if she didn’t understand much, she still grasped the hierarchy in the mansion.
“…I can.”
Eleanor answered a beat late. Olivia squinted in suspicion, then clapped her hands as if she had a revelation.
“Logan is a prince!”
Eleanor blinked at the nonsensical statement.
“Just like Mom and Dad! Because Logan and Eleanor are going to the party together!”
If Logan heard this, he’d probably choke on air. Eleanor opened her mouth to deny it, but Olivia’s joyous cheer drowned her out.
“Eleanor is the princess, and Logan is the prince!”
Throwing herself onto the bed, Olivia buried her face in the fluffy blanket and kicked her legs in excitement. Her small feet pounded the blanket, kicking up dust into the air.
Eleanor let out a small sigh. There was no stopping a child who had already imagined Eleanor and Logan getting married—and no way to talk her out of it either.
*cackles*